Gestalt theory stresses which of the following?

• A. Here and now, the what and how of behavior, and unfinished business from the past
• B. Past-focused interpretation of childhood experiences
• C. Dreams and unconscious conflicts
• D. Behavioral modification through conditioning

Answer: (A)

Gestalt theory centers on present experience—the here and now—and how a person experiences their behavior in the moment, focusing on awareness of what is happening and how it is happening. It also holds that unresolved issues from the past, described as unfinished business, can intrude on current experience and keep a person stuck. That combination—being attentive to the present process of experiencing and acknowledging how past tensions surface in the present—best captures what Gestalt theory emphasizes.

The other descriptions align with different approaches: past-focused childhood interpretations are typical of psychodynamic theories; dreams and unconscious conflicts come from psychoanalytic traditions; and behavioral modification through conditioning is a hallmark of behaviorism.